Custom print for Future Mentors. It’s not everyday you get a certificate! Today we have something special to share. We had the pleasure to work with Brian St. John to produce a really cool letterpress certificate. The certificates were for Future Mentors, a scholarship based charitable organization that focuses on helping young adults reach their […]

Custom print for Future Mentors. It’s not everyday you get a certificate!

Today we have something special to share. We had the pleasure to work with Brian St. John to produce a really cool letterpress certificate. The certificates were for Future Mentors, a scholarship based charitable organization that focuses on helping young adults reach their full potential. It’s through the scholarships and events they provide that FM can ignite student’s passions and create great opportunities for them. Make sure to check out the photos after the jump …

The certificates were printed on Crane’s Lettra 110# pearl white stock. We custom mixed by hand two ink for printing, an orange-red for the overlapping circles pattern and a medium gray color for the text of the certificate. In order to achieve a nice solid and impression across the full piece, we printed these on a Vandercook Universal III using photopolymer plates.

The finished piece measures 8″ x 10″. The orange overlapping circle pattern was printed first and the grey text was done second. The cotton paper provides a nice clean impression, which is what separates letterpress apart from other printing techniques.

The Future Mentors logo is displayed prominently at the top of the certificate. The logo reproduces beautifully, the thin lines of the arrow and the strokes of the text highlight the impression.

People seem to love overlapping circles as we’ve used them on so many business cards in the past (e.g. Justin Belcher). The one thing about creating a bordered pattern is that it makes proper cutting all the more critical. Not only do they need to be trimmed to the right size but also even from side to side.

One thing to keep in mind when designing for letterpress is that text and strokes print with a nice impression and crisp look more so than full solids or larger areas of coverage. Compare the look of the circle pattern to the text shown in the photos above.

We have a wide range of equipment in the studio to handle almost any design, but think that there is something so beautiful about letterpress type on paper. Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) … did we just call you stupid? No, we just didn’t have our coffee yet and are a bit cranky, but the rule still applies!

If you’d like to make a donation to the Future Mentors – Pay It Forward Program, visit the contribute portion of their website. We think what they’re doing is really great. If it helps, think of the donation as an investment in a great letterpress piece!

We’ve worked with several 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organizations and appreciate all that they do to improve our society. If you’ve got a special project you need a quote for, we’d be happy to speak with you.